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On October 16th every year, the United Nations and its partners worldwide observe World Food Day. The day is used as a platform to focus attention on hunger and food insecurity and stimulate solutions to these problems. For many young people in industrialized countries, this awareness is an eye-opener, as it becomes clear that hunger still exists in developed countries too. In fact, about 3 million Europeans go hungry each year according to the European Union’s data, and on a global scale, it is said that some 40% of people cannot afford a healthy diet?

Adding to this disparity, the world’s agri-food systems currently employ 1 billion people, more than any other sector, yet smallholder farmers (who produce more than 33 percent of the world’s food) still suffer from extreme poverty and a lack of access to resources including finance, training, and technology, due to the financial monopoly of their large-scale commercial agribusiness counterparts.

From a climate change perspective, not only does climate change affect the rural poor but also agricultural yields and productivity, and can contribute to changing nutrient composition of major staple crops.

Biodiversity and soil health is also suffering as a result of climate change, with the growing demand and promotion of resource-intensive foods, leading to the further degradation of natural ecosystems – due to their conversion into industrial-scale monocultures and plantations – only going to exacerbate this problem further. https://www.fao.org/3/cb5602en/cb5602en.pdf

What actions can I take as an individual?

Adopt a whole food plant-based diet!

Unprocessed plant foods – fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, pulses, beans, and seeds – have been shown to help in the treatment of many chronic diseases and are often associated with lower levels of type 2 diabetes, reduced hypertension, lower cholesterol levels, and reduced cancer rates.

Studies also show that those who adopt a whole food plant-based diet are less likely to be overweight and tend to have a lower percentage of body fat, which in turn will reduce the risk of many other diseases.

A whole food plant-based diet is also lower in saturated fat, higher in fiber, and due to the increased intake of whole plant food in their unprocessed form, such diets have a higher level of beneficial phytochemicals and antioxidants in comparison to the average western of the standard American diet.

Nevertheless, as with all diets, it’s helpful to do your research. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a great place to start in showing how plant-based diets can improve heart health and other chronic conditions.  https://www.pcrm.org/ 

If you prefer reading, The China Study (by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell) and How Not to Die (by Gene Stone and Michael Greger) are great books.

For documentaries look to “Forks Over Knives” or “Plant Pure Nation” the second of which you can find free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_i_vp9Vfho

“What the Health” and “The Game Changers” are some other great health-based documentaries that can be found on Netflix along with “Cowspiracy” which takes a more environmental look at our current food system.

Further info https://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/facts

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/plant-based-diets

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579641/

#FoodHeroes @FAO

#WorldFoodDay

It’s a day dedicated to bringing change in the way we treat our environment. Edible London’s blueprint supports zero waste, commits its projects to turn spaces from grey to green, which reduces water and air pollution.

Grey to Green

Relative to many London Boroughs, Haringey is well endowed with open space. (4) Statistically, over a quarter (27.8%) of Haringey is made up of green areas, compared to a borough average of 33% for London. The most notable places are Alexandra Palace and Finsbury Park. While all homes in Alexandrea and Bounds Green have good access to nature, just two-fifths of homes in West Green (38%) and Noel Park (41%) do. (2)

Domestic gardens are among Britain’s key nature reserves. Urban domestic gardens of all sizes support a substantial range of wildlife. Some animal species are now more common in cities, particularly domestic gardens than in rural areas. (1)

The Earth has become five percent greener in 20 years. (8) In total, the increase in leaf area over the past two decades corresponds to an area as large as the Amazon rainforests.

Our St. Ann’s Library Project is the perfect example of grey to green by making a hospitable environment for wildlife and people. We have placed two greenhouses on-site and many beds transforming an empty space of a local library into a beautiful and relaxing sitting area full of nature.

Climate change

On 9 March 2021, Haringey’s Cabinet voted unanimously to adopt the Haringey Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). (3) The document sets out the roadmap for how the borough will become net zero-carbon by 2041. (7)

Gardens help control urban temperatures, protecting us from extreme heat and cold. Urban garden plants and trees help cool the air in our towns and cities, combating dangerous temperatures caused by urban heat waves. (1) Trees and hedges can bring heating costs and energy consumption down in winter by providing shelter and insulation.

Plant growth is declining all over the planet, and new research links the phenomenon to decreasing moisture in the air—a consequence of climate change. (9)

Air pollution

Haringey’s air pollution level is higher than the average London’s and England’s. this has a particularly negative impact on children. The number of kids with asthma has tripled.

Climate records suggest the declines are associated with a metric known as vapor pressure deficit—that’s the difference between the amount of moisture the air actually holds versus the maximum amount of moisture it could be holding. A high deficit is sometimes referred to as an atmospheric drought.

Water pollution

Green infrastructure in urban areas can help to improve the quality of water in urban areas. Urban gardens help keep our cities above water. (1) Garden plants and trees intercept intense rain, slowing runoff and so reducing the pressure on urban drains. Unlike hard surfaces, the soil in gardens naturally absorbs rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding in our towns and cities. That is why we insist on making projects like High Cross Community Garden where we have created a public community garden in an industrial estate.

Zero waste -Upcycling

The amount of waste produced in North London has been climbing steadily at an annual rate of 2.5% over recent years. (11) There are tough recycling targets in place for Local Authorities to ensure that as more waste is produced, there is an increased emphasis on recycling. With no attempt to combat this problem by 2020 an extra 36,000 tonnes of waste will be produced each year. This is equivalent to a 40% growth in waste between 2006 and 2020.

According to the Departure for Environment Food & Rural areas report (2021), the UK recycling rate for Waste from Households was 46.2% in 2019, increasing from 45.0% in 2018. (10)

Environmental conservation is the primary reason for waste management and recycling efforts around the world. By properly reusing materials from trash, we are reducing pollution, energy usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling various types of materials contribute to energy savings: recycled steel (60% energy saved), recycled plastics (70% energy saved), recycled newspaper (40% energy saved), and recycled glass (40% energy saved).

Also, composting and recycling about 21.5 million of food waste is similar to taking 2 million cars off the road. (12)

Edible London’s mission is to tackle food poverty. To achieve that we eliminate the food waste by distributing food to families and caters, we grow food on our various sites, we do quality control to our donated food and what is rotted gets composted on our sites to be used on our beds.

What can we do to improve our situation?

Recommendations:

1.We should all place greater emphasis on protecting and enhancing gardens and green space in our cities for the benefit of the environment and future generations.

2.Scientific research institutes should build and share expert knowledge of practices that will maximise the positive impact of gardens and gardening, with particular focus on:

• the identification of which trees and other plants are most suited to providing the optimum cooling effect with minimum water use in domestic gardens;

• determining the thermal insulating properties of a wide range of plants appropriate for use in domestic gardens;

• understanding the best plant combinations to encourage a wide range of garden biodiversity.

3. Education and training organisations should safeguard and develop horticultural skills to ensure growth in gardening in urban areas by individuals, school children, and community groups.

Reference:

1 https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/pdf/climate-and-sustainability/urban-greening/gardening-matters-urban-greening.pdf

2 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/state_of_the_borough_final_master_version.pdf

3 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/haringey_open_space_and_biodiversity_study_final_report_-_mr_intro-context_for_study.pdf

4 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/open_space_strategy.pdf

5 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/libraries-sport-and-leisure/parks-and-open-spaces/green-flag

6 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/news/park-life-haringey-unveils-new-green-space-residents

7 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/environment-and-waste/going-green/net-zero-carbon-haringey

8 https://www.warpnews.org/human-progress/nasa-the-earth-is-greener-now-than-it-was-20-years-ago/

9 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-stopped-getting-greener-20-years-ago/

10 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1002246/UK_stats_on_waste_statistical_notice_July2021_accessible_FINAL.pdf

11 https://www.haringey.gov.uk/sites/haringeygovuk/files/haringey_zero_by_2050_commission_report.pdf

12 https://comparecamp.com/recycling-statistics/

World Environment Day is a celebration of Earth, a chance to raise some much-needed awareness about all that we can do to protect it. As it’s known, it provides the air we breathe, the food we eat, the land we place our homes and offers remarkable beauty both in its landscapes but also in the plethora of life forms it supports, including ourselves. Nevertheless, despite all that it gives, the earth as we know it is in desperate need of our support.

Food waste

Food waste reduction provides various benefits for people and the planet: alleviating food security, tackling climate change, saving money, and decreasing pressures on land, water, biodiversity, and waste management systems (UNEP, 2021).

When it comes to food waste, statistically, the UK is one of the worst offenders in comparison with other European countries; and according to the European Commission, it’s estimated that 14 million tonnes of food are wasted in the UK alone. Jessica Keynes (2019) even notes that UK households binned £13.5 billion worth of edible food in 2015, which is on average £540 per household.

From a global perspective, the “Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (2013) conducted research in which it estimates that if food waste were a country, then it would be the third-highest emitter of GHG emissions.” (TooGoodToGo,2021). It is also estimated that worldwide up to 50% of all food produced is lost or wasted before or after it reaches consumers. (TheWorldCounts,2021). Stark numbers in contrast to the number of people facing food poverty.

Soil and Land Pollution

Soil and land pollution is dangerous not only for humans but also for other life forms and vital ecosystems. Conventional agricultural practices such as the overuse of highly toxic fertilizers and chemical pesticides are one of the biggest causes of soil and land pollution which contaminate and poison healthy soils, food, and drinking water (European Environmental Agency,2021). Not only does this affect our direct consumption of the food we eat and the water we drink, but the utilization of agricultural chemicals can be a big risk to workers with high exposure to some of these chemicals said to increase the risk of developing skin cancer. 

Human History and Environmental Disaster

Historically humanity has not always been mindful of their home with countless environmental disasters that have taken place. For example, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 is mentioned as one of the biggest disasters in human history (Jesse Greenspan, 2018). Taking a broad look at the damage that has been done, if Earth’s history is condensed down to the same time frame as a calendar year, it can be said that modern humans have consumed one-third of all-natural resources in just the span of 0.2 seconds!

Climate Change

With the continued release of greenhouse gases, planet Earth has never been warmer. From record-breaking heatwaves leading to an increase in forest fires to more frequent droughts that cause damage to agriculture and water security to longer and stronger hurricanes causing displacement and death, global warming is something that needs serious attention. NRDC (2021) states that “if we are unable to reduce our emissions, scientists believe that climate change could lead to the deaths of more than 250,000 people around the globe every year and force 100 million people into poverty by 2030.”

Edible London’s Role

Edible London is focusing on bringing solutions to food waste and other environmental issues. In this fight against food poverty and food waste, in just the last quarter of 2020, we received 72,991kg of surplus from partner groups, of which 58,433Kg was saved for redistribution, and 14,558kg sent for compost/anaerobic digestion. Just looking at this small 3-month snapshot, we estimate it to have helped save 182,477kg of CO2equivalent: check out our 2020 Impact Roundup here for more info. Along with our work in preventing food waste, we also help turn disused/derelict urban areas into green community accessible growing spaces (using nonchemical soil friendly farming methods) in our mission to help regrow the circular food economy, and rebuild our communities, from the root upwards. 

It’s Time to Act!

Although it’s good to help raise awareness, and something we will always strive to do that here at Edible London. It’s sadly all in vain if we do not start to make the changes necessary to help combat the problems we face. Today we have spoken about a few issues but more important is what we do with that information moving forward.

Below is a list of a few things that can help start/continue your journey into becoming a more environmentally conscious individual in the actions that you take.  

– Volunteer (donate your time to a project that helps the planet: you can sign up as a volunteer at Edible London here if interested).

– Adopt a plant-based diet.

– Switch to a green energy provider – solar energy, wind energy, etc.

– Ditch the car and commute via bicycle/public transport.

– Work towards the 5 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Rot (e.g food waste in a compost), Recycle.

– Shop organic or from surplus.

– Mind your water use.

– Start growing some of your own food (you can even grow on your own windowsill).

– Support a tree-planting project.

– Travel by train not plane.

And remember: Educate yourself! Once you start educating yourself on the topic, you can help others understand how important and valuable it is to protect this beautiful ball of rock and water we call home. 🙂

#WorldEnvironmentDay